I know, I’ve been posting a lot of baking recipes. That’s what the holiday’s do to you – okay it’s almost summer, but I like giving you different ways to eat sugar! Now that we have them out of the way, I thought I’d make a simple dinner tonight. Prosciutto wrapped Stuffed Chicken Breast with a Raw Beet and Herb Salad as well as Caramelized Mushrooms. Yes, a relaxing dinner for my wife and myself.
This has become one of my favorite ways to have a chicken breast. Chicken breast – boneless, skinless – is not usually my first choice of cuts. I guess I’ve had too many dry chicken dinners at too many corporate events to appreciate when it is cooked well. I usually use boneless skinless chicken thighs – for everything involving chicken – from curries to roasts. It is most flavorful and with a deliciously moist end result. But with an instant read thermometer – and if you don’t have one, get one, even chicken breast can be moist. My recommendation – do not attempt this dish unless you have an instant read thermometer.
I’m not a gadget person, anyone who has heard me in my classes will tell you. But this is one device I cannot do without. Beads of sweat form on my forehead when I enter a cooking school that doesn’t have one – thankfully I always carry one with me. I use this faithfully for all cuts of poultry and pork. Other meats I can pretty much judge but chicken and pork – I always use a thermometer. They cost under $20. I have a digital one that will give me a reading as soon as I insert the probe into the meat. Please go and get one at your local kitchen supply store – grocery or specialty shops. Keep it simple, an instant read thermometer you simply stick into the meat and it gives you the temperature. No wires, wireless transmitters, infrared lights etc.
Once you have purchased this instant read, you will never ever have dry chicken breast again. For chicken thighs, the temperature must be at 165f and for breast, 175f. Remember to insert the probe into the thickest part of the chicken to get an accurate reading. Boneless, skinless chicken thighs can be stacked one on top of the other – usually 3-5 high, then a thermometer inserted or skewered through the pieces, will give you the correct temperature. But really, it’s fun to poke a few pieces to check for the temperature for doneness.
This is a simple recipe for the stuffing and the marinade for the chicken. The chicken breast just has salt, pepper and olive oil as the marinade. The stuffing is apple, cheddar and of course – Thai chilies. The stuffing should be stronger tasting as breast meat is not a strong enough taste to stand on its own without a sauce or something. You can swap out the cheddar with feta or your favorite cheese. You can also add sautéed spinach or kale (or any other green) to the stuffing – there are no correct proportions so cook it to taste. Want something crunchy and flavorful, try adding nuts such as pecans or almonds and/or dried fruit such as cranberries or currants for a refreshing and seasonal taste. Just keep the pieces small as you are stuffing a breast with the mixture.
I find the easiest method to create a pocket for the stuffing in the breast is to insert a knife horizontally through the thickest part of the chicken, slowly cutting a wider arc as you push the knife through the breast. A boning knife works best for this, but any long blade knife will work. Just keep your knife parallel to the cutting board when making this pocket – and yes, don’t pierce the chicken – or yourself, with the knife. You could also butterfly the breast, but then you have to seal it back up with toothpicks or string (and of course remove them before serving). This other method is so much more efficient. No need to seal up the edges, nothing to remove.
Okay, you got your thermometer, you have your instructions for making the pocket, and you have the stuffing components –let’s do this! As always – enjoy!
4 boneless, skinless, chicken breast
8 slices prosciutto
Salt, pepper and olive oil
Stuffing
1 apple, gala or ambrosia or your favorite – small dice
1 cup grated aged cheddar, crumbled feta or your favorite cheese
2 Thai chilies, finely chopped
Make the stuffing by combining all ingredients and mixing well – set aside
Heat the oven to 400f
Prepare the chicken breast by removing the tenders – you can either save these for a future meal or bake them with the chicken breast
Place the chicken breast sideways and using a sharp thin long blade knife, insert horizontally into the thickest part of the chicken breast and work your way down to the thinnest part – do not go all the way down as you will pierce the meat. Make sure your knife remains parallel to the cutting board at all times
As you insert the knife, slide the tip across to create a pocket – repeat with the remaining breast pieces
Using a small spoon or piping bag, stuff each chicken breast pushing the stuffing down as you add more
– each breast should take about 2 tbsp. of stuffing
When finished, sprinkle both sides of the breast with salt and pepper
Use two slices of prosciutto per breast and wrap the chicken, sealing the open end
Place on a parchment lined rimmed baking sheet – thick part of the chicken facing the rimmed edge, brush the prosciutto with olive oil
Bake for 25 – 30 minutes — take the temperature at 25 minutes and accordingly adjust the timing – I do this in 5 minute intervals checking each time the timer goes off
When the breast reaches 175f, remove from the oven and tent with foil or parchment
At this point, you could drain the juices from the tray and make a sauce for the chicken by adding a simple roux to the sauce over a medium high heat until thickened – season with salt and pepper
Cut the chicken diagonally (or not) and serve with the mushrooms and beat salad
